


Paths Intertwining Once More

by balthstiel (PuppyWillGraham), PuppyWillGraham



Category: Hannibal (TV), Supernatural
Genre: A goddamn back story, AU, All will become clear as more chapters are posted, Brownham, Characters to be added (probably), Crossover Pairings, Flashbacks, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Murder Husbands, Orderly!Matthew, Patient!Sam, Patient!Will, Prison Sex, Romance in the BSHCI: it sounds like such a bad idea, Satt, Slow Burn, Twitter RP made me do it, gay hawks, headcanons galore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-20
Updated: 2014-07-21
Packaged: 2018-02-09 16:13:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1989408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppyWillGraham/pseuds/balthstiel, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuppyWillGraham/pseuds/PuppyWillGraham
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story in which love is a slow burn, patients' and a certain orderly's relationship is anything /but/ professional, and a friendship long not forgotten on the latter's side is brought to the front of his mind once more when the other checks himself into the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane on the pretense that he's suffering from religious, angelic and devilish hallucinations and delusions, when really, he's just working on a case for his older brother.</p><p>AKA; a crossover pairing that never should've been, but is, and shouldn't work, but does.</p><p>[Major Satt, with minor Brownham, as Matthew can't seem to choose; until a certain doctor gets involved again.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reintroduction

It's an ordinary work day for Matthew Brown when he checks into his regular morning shift at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He's efficient in changing into his orderly scrubs, placing his items in his work locker that he, luckily, doesn't share with any of his co workers, before slipping into the employee lounge to grab a cup of coffee. It tastes crap, but it does the job of keeping him awake and aware enough to take decent care of the patients he was signed to care for.

Will Graham was one of these such patients, which only made Matthew all too happy to come to work in such a place at unGodly hours of the morning.

The first rounds are easy; a simple task of giving the patients breakfast. It's 8AM, and most of them are often dazed, tired, or confused, which makes them more pliant and accepting of the not-so-great food, and even worse coffee. But coffee is coffee, and all the patients seem to be grateful for it. Especially Will, which always brings a small smile to the orderly's face whenever he passes the tray through the little slot.

Will may not say anything to him, but Matthew can tell he's grateful for the efficient service he provides, with practically no trouble.

It's only when Matthew is called into Dr. Chilton's office at around noon that he worries slightly.

_Had he done something wrong? Was his work not efficient enough?_

His brows furrow when he slips into his employer's office to take a seat in front of the huge oak desk, his boss pacing from one side of the office to another. His voice is laced with barely repressed snark as if he's talking down on Matthew, even though he's simply stating that the orderly will be taking care of another patient.

"He's just checked himself in, and we're running tests to confirm that he's indeed selling a story that we can buy. Although, _why on Earth_ anybody _wants_ to check themselves into a place like this, is beyond me." _That alone would be a cause for concern_ , Frederick intones to himself in his mind. "It's all protocol, after all."

"I see, sir." Matthew replies, not responding to the bitter statements of the older man. He was here to work, after all, not to fight with the man who gave him this job in the first place. "I'll be sure to provide the necessary care to make his stay as comfortable as possible."

"Very good, Mr. Brown. You can collect and read over his file when he's been transferred to ward one. It's quiet there, especially considering his... _condition_."

"Do we know any signs of it, yet?"

"All he's done so far is babble about Lucifer, and a cage. Nobody can make sense of it."

Matthew frowns. Well, at least this patient had checked into the right place.

"I expect you'll be wanting to read over his file soon," Frederick has now taken a seat as he glances off to the window, tapping his pen against his lips in a fashion that meant he was thinking over something.

A buzz from a Walkie Talkie was what broke the silence between the two men, right before it turned awkward. Frederick picks it up and motions for Matthew to leave his office.

"I'll see what I can do to help." Matthew stands, turns on his heel, and leaves the room so he can make his way to ward one.

He'd need to clean the cell out and make it as nice as you possibly could with what little resources they had. It was true that ward one was quiet; it was practically bare and there were currently no other patients residing in it. It was on one of the top floors and was used for patients who were prone to being particularly loud in whichever condition they were suffering from. Matthew had no qualms about working with patients such as these, being more understanding about what it was like to suffer with a mental illness than most of the other employees in the hospital.

It doesn't take long for him to spruce up one of the cells at the far end of the corridor for the imminent arrival of the patient, and by the time he's finished, he's allowed to retrieve the file to read over it. The name of the new patient isn't a famliar one and doesn't stick out to him as one he'll often remember. Yes, he may secretly have his favorite patient that he memorized _everything_ about, but nobody else would know that. That would be seen as bias, and he'd be pulled away from caring for said favorite patient.

He sits in the employee lounge and flicks through the file. Religious hallucinations and delusions, both angelic and devilish. Well, that wasn't too bad, even if he _had_ been transferred straight to ward one. He must've put on a good display for that to have occured.

Matthew is buzzed down to meet and greet the patient soon after, and he almost does a double take when he faces the taller man who is sitting patiently and quietly in his cell. The face is familiar, somehow. Matthew has a brilliant and vivid memory, _especially_ when it comes to faces, and he somehow _knows_ he's seen that face before. The other doesn't seem to recognize him, though, so Matthew proceeds with his introduction.

"Hello, I'm Mr Brown," first name introductions were a no-no. You give a patient a sense of familiarity, and it could interfere with their treatment. "I'll be your orderly for the duration of your stay here. I'll mostly be bringing your meals to you, taking you to the showers, and transporting you to the therapy cages, the privacy room for specific interviews, and anywhere else Dr. Chilton deems appropriate for the treatment you will be provided with."

It's all protocol, and Matthew has said it so many times to patients that have either been arrested and checked in, referred to by their doctors and checked in, or like in this specific case, when the patient has checked themselves in.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Brown." His voice is kind of soft, and gentle, despite the man --who now stands and very well _towers over_ the orderly-- being over six foot. A gentle giant, and with the voice, Matthew knows exactly who he is.

It's Sam Winchester.


	2. In The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback as to how Matthew met Sam.

_It was a Tuesday morning when young, fifteen year old Matthew Brown had been sat at one of the desks right near the back of the classroom, only half tuned into what his teacher, Ms. Malone, was saying, the other half of his attention focused on the window to the side and birds flying free; he'd always liked birds, and often likened himself to them, along with other people. He only turned his attention back to the front of the classroom and Ms. Malone when the kind, much older woman said something about a new student joining the class._

_"Would you like to introduce yourself for us, Sam?" Ms. Malone had said gently to the short boy, who was standing awkwardly in front of the whole class. His hands were shoved as deep into his hoody pockets as they could go, and he tilted his head a fraction, as if mulling over the teacher's words. He nodded, complying._

_"I'm Sam Winchester. I just...moved here, with my dad and older brother. He's in one of the senior classes." His voice was ever so soft, and he straightened up and surveyed the class carefully. He may have been short, but he didn't seem to be timid._

_Matthew held his breath as he caught the new boy's eye, his own green set widening slightly, before he glanced off out the window again. He didn't know why he broke the gaze first --he was **never** unable to keep another person's gaze, usually-- but there was something awfully... **friendly**...about Sam Winchester's gaze. He risked another glance and Sam smiled this time, making his way to the back of the classroom once he'd finished introducing himself to the class._

_Matthew Brown hoped that he would just be another face in the crowd, like he usually was. There was nothing special, or unique, or **anything** that was noteworthy about him, but as Sam sat at the desk next to him, he could feel himself start to gravitate towards the other already._

_There was **something** about him, and Matthew's curiosity had been piqued. _

~~~~~

Matthew remembered that first, initial meeting, and it suddenly stuck in his mind again. He couldn't show any familiarity to the patient, --who he was becoming more sure of him being Sam Winchester as he watched him-- it was against protocol.

This was a first meeting again, of sorts, and Matthew had to get back to work. But he played over that first day in his mind as he got on with said work, constantly worrying his lower lip with his teeth, a nervous habit he'd picked up from Will Graham.

~~~~~

_It didn't take long for Matthew and Sam to become best friends. Matthew had never had any close friends of any sort before, but apparently Sam liked him and trusted him enough to consider him as one, so he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Sam Winchester was a blessing, and Matthew Brown was grateful for him to have arrived in his classroom that one Tuesday morning._

_The semester passed by fast, and their friendship only seemed to grow stronger with each day that passed, although Matthew had started becoming attached to the other, younger boy in a way that was **more** than just friends by the time it was the final day. _

_Matthew Brown had a crush on Sam Winchester._

_He don't know how it had happened, but the other was kind, gentle, understanding, and most of all, he was sweet to him; everything he'd ever wanted from another person. He didn't get any sort of care from the foster home he was staying in, and he certainly didn't hear anything else from his parents. He was the only child, and they couldn't provide the right amount of care for such a **strange** and **weird** boy. He'd already taken a trip to a psychiatric facility in San Francisco, which had only done more damage than good, in Matthew's opinion, yet that was the solution to a problem child with violent and arsonistic tendencies._

_"It's not your fault, Matty." Sam had cooed softly when Matthew had broken down and blurted everything out after the former had asked if he could visit his house so they could hang out after school. They were sat by the river that ran along through woodlands. It was quiet, peaceful, and they were both alone._

_Matthew had shaken his head, tears furiously blurring his vision, and he suddenly found his face buried in the crook of the other boy's neck. Sam may have been short for his age, but Matthew was still a tad bit shorter, and it was the perfect height for being held, if he didn't mind thinking of it in that way once he'd calmed down enough to actually speak._

_"I'm sorry, Sammy... I shouldn't have said anything. I don't need to burden you with my problems. You probably have enough of your own."_

_It was only when Sam had pulled back slightly to stare openly at Matthew, that Matthew realized what he'd said._

_' **Sammy.** '_

_Matthew froze, eyes widening a fraction. He bit the inside of his cheek, hard, hands shaking as he rested them on Sam's upper arms. Sam shook his head slightly, a small smile flickering onto his lips._

_"It's alright, Matty," he used the nickname to assure the older boy that it was okay, he was fine. "You can call me that, if you want. It can be our thing, just between us. I mean, I call you Matty, don't I?"_

_Matthew nodded, and found himself shifting and turning his body so he could face the other boy properly. "Our thing. Just between us. I like that."_

_"I like it, too." Sam seemed to stall as he tried to say something else, but Matthew couldn't quite hear. He was practically mumbling._

_"Hm? What was that?"_

_"I said, I like it, and I like you, too." Sam's cheeks flushed and he glanced half off towards the water that was rippling from the slight breeze. It was almost Summer._

_"I know you do. That's why we're best friends, Sammy." Matthew grinned, almost cheekily in fashion, and rested his hands in his lap._

_"No, I-- That's not what I meant, Matthew." Again, Sam's cheeks flushed, even more so this time. "I **like** like you."_

_"..." Matthew blinked, unable to say anything at first, and when he didn't, Sam moved to shift away slightly, flustered and completely embarrassed._

_Maybe he shouldn't have said it, maybe he'd ruined everything, maybe he should've just--_

_"I like you, too. **Like** like you, Sam." Matthew's lips curved up in a wide grin, feeling his heart pound against his chest, and he reached out to tug Sam close again, to stop him from moving away._

_Sam exhales a soft sigh of relief, but there was still a crease of worry set in his brow. He was still worried about something, and Matthew could sense it._

_"What's wrong, Sammy..? Is that...not okay?" Matthew's voice was hushed, lisp prominent whenever he was feeling an overexertion of emotions, and this was doing nothing to help with his speech impediment._

_"I have to tell you something else, Matthew. I'm...I'm so sorry, but it's not going to work." Sam could feel tears tighten his throat, and it almost locked up, but before it could, he continued speaking before Matthew could interrupt. "I'm moving away. I mean, my dad, brother, and I are moving away again. This always happens. I wish we weren't. I don't want to go. I want to stay with you. But I can't. There's no changing it. My dad's job here is done."_

_Matthew doesn't say anything at first, afraid that he'll sound as shaky as he feels, but he does reach out to place a hand on Sam's upper arm again. He knew about the other boy's family moving from place to place frequently, but that didn't mean it hurt any less._

_"I...I understand, Sammy. It's alright, you'll be okay, and I'll be fine. We can...keep in touch, can't we?" Although Matthew knows that's very unlikely._

_He looks down at his lap, letting his hands fall to it again._

_"Yeah. We can keep in touch, Matty."_

_The hand touching his cheek and soft lips pressing to it in a gentle kiss makes the last moment alone between them bittersweet._


	3. Memories and Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matthew looks back over the letters he and Sam sent to one another when they were kids.

It's late when Matthew arrives home after his day shift at the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. He felt strange after seeing Sam again, although he was acting as if he didn't know who the other was. Sam didn't seem to recognize him, either. Which probably wasn't all too surprising, considering how much Matthew had changed over the years. He was good at blending into the background after so many years of practise, and it had worked for him pretty well.

He doesn't head straight back to his apartment right after his shift has ended; instead, he heads to the local newsagents and buys a six pack of beer. He feels like he needs to relax, and the alcohol should help to put him at ease.

When he finally gets in, he locks the door behind him and drops his work satchel to the floor before making his way through to the living room to flop down on the couch. He fidgets at first, his mind whirring with stirred up memories of days past and the sharp feeling of being left all alone with nobody to understand him or comfort him in times of stress and need makes tears brim his eyes, but he manages to blink them away. He wasn't in high school anymore, comfort eating and becoming overweight to deal with the stress of being picked on by other classmates with nobody to help him stand up for himself; and he wasn't in college anymore, dabbling in drugs to deal with the stress of work.

He was an adult, and he could happily drink this night away to lessen the feelings he was sure to have to deal with again. But for now, he'd drink. And he does, quickly ending up on the final can of beer.

_Huh, that was quick..._

He doesn't remember ending up rooting through the bottom of his wardrobe, but that's where he soon finds himself, pulling out an old memory box. It's full of letters, both from his family when he'd moved out of the foster home and into his own place, and from the man -- _the boy_ \-- who was once his best friend.

Sam had kept as good as his word, and they'd kept in touch. For a long while, at least. Matthew never knew exactly where Sam was, but he always managed to get in a reply to the same place he'd received a letter from before he received a letter from a new place. It was a system that worked for them, and they both --as far as Matthew knew-- enjoyed the feeling of being able to communicate with each other over that one Summer.

But as Summer soon morphed into Autumn and Winter, and the new school year, the letters became sparse; few and far in between, until the communication between them both came to a complete stop by the time high school came to a close. Matthew lost touch with Sam. That thought, even through his slightly drunken haze, made Matthew's heart ache, and he curled up in bed around the box of letters, flicking through them one at a time.

That school year and the one after, in general, had been hard for Matthew, and he'd vowed to drop the weight by joining regular swimming classes; which he did, and Sam may not have kept in touch with him, but the younger boy was always stuck on his mind somehow. He figured that what he felt for the other was more than just having a simple high school crush on him. He couldn't define it when it had been the time, but now looking back on it, he realized it was something close to adoration, maybe even love.

He knew what the feeling of love was like, what it felt like to spare adoration someone's way. It's what he felt for Will Graham.

_Well, that makes things complicated..._

If Sam ended up recognizing him again, which was bound to happen at some point, especially when he caught wind of Mr. Brown's full name, it would either make things simple, or extremely complicated.

The feelings had been left open ended, and Matthew had felt wounded all at once when there hadn't even been a goodbye kiss. Not even closure. So now there was a risk of it all being blown wide open again, especially as he reads over the last ever letter he'd received.

_Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea..._

' _Hey, Matty.._

_I hope everything is going alright with you, and that you're enjoying the rest of high school. Things are pretty much the same with me, just working towards as good grades as I can get. I know what I want to be now. I want to be a lawyer. Hopefully I can get into Stanford and then law school, if dad and my brother don't mind. They probably won't like it, but I can't stick with the family business. I need to get out. If that happens, we can finally meet up again._

_I'd really like that. I've missed you, Matt. A lot._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Sammy.'_

_Very bad idea, **very** bad idea..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day ... I'm on a roll. Hope people are enjoying this as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading! comments, kudos and bookmarks brighten my day.


End file.
